


The Lonely Prince

by GoddessApostle



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma!Adrien, Gen, I'll add more as I go along, and it will be kind of violent in later chapters, fairy tale AU, kind of??, there will also be character deaths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-05-16 21:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5842126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessApostle/pseuds/GoddessApostle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Adrien discovers the scarf from his father was stolen from a classmate, he sets out to find who it was. It wouldn't be so scary if he didn't borrow Hawkmoth's powers to do it, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lonely Prince

**Author's Note:**

> This is another story I've been excited about writing!!

Adrien glared at his phone, the message long gone since the screen faded to black. The message that was short and professional, one that should be sent from employer to employee, not father to son.

'Adrien, I can't make it to lunch today. I apologize.'

"At least he sent it himself," Adrien said with a bitter laugh. "That's more than I usually get out of him."

"It's okay, Adrien." Plagg floated to him, hovering in front of his face. "I'll always be there for you! Here, have some cheese!" Adrien smiled as Plagg lowered himself to the desk and plucked a small triangle from the pile.

" _I_ got that for _you_ remember?" He stroked the kwami's ears before standing.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be right back. I'm just going to see if he's in right now. I want to know why he cancelled." Adrien left, leaving Plagg to his cheese. Though his mood had lightened with Plagg's concern, the walk to his father's office brought the waves of anger crashing back.

He'd had enough of this absentee parenting. He wanted to talk to him, to enjoy meals with him, to _bond_ with him like _normal_ parents did with their _normal_ kids. His sense of normalcy was already skewed, what with him having to run off at least once a week to fight akuma victims.

Was remembering his birthday _really_ too much to ask for?

He grit his teeth as he neared the door. He froze, hand barely brushing the knob, when he heard Gabriel's voice.

"...his birthday?"

"Yes, sir," came Nathalie's reply. "He should be in his room now, resting before he returns to the _collège_. Would you like me to give it to him now?"

"No, not yet. Show it to me first. I don't want you to mess it up again. I want to make sure you got him something _suitable_ this year, instead of stealing some scarf made by one of his classmates."

Adrien's breath left him in an audible _whoosh_ A cold sensation rushed down his limbs, numbing his fingers. He fled, bolting through hall after hall, until he returned to his room. Plagg looked up curiously as he opened his closet and sat in front of it. He turned his attention to the door when he heard the clack of Nathalie's heels.

"Lock the door," Adrien said over his shoulder. Plagg did so, taking note of Adrien's hostile tone. When Nathalie knocked on the door and called for him, she was ignored.

"What happened?" Plagg asked as he flew closer to Adrien, keeping his voice low.

Adrien said nothing, finally pulling the scarf from its box on the floor. He studied it, ran his hands over it, looking for any place a tag or signature might be. Surely there must be a name hiding in the embroidered corners? Or a tag tucked beneath a loose seam? There must be _something_ there.

He groaned when he found nothing, tears blurring his vision. He looked down at the scarf, his anger and sadness peaking inside him. He ignored when Plagg yelled at him, telling him to run away. He ignored the tugging at his sleeve, though he did wonder briefly how Plagg could be doing that while he was sitting on the scarf.

It was only when the black smudge on his lap dissolved into the scarf that he realized he was looking at an akuma.

He'd been targeted.

By Hawkmoth.

That's what his father drove him to.

He tried to resist, he really did. But when the deep voice whispered of lonely princes, mysterious princesses, and happy endings, he found himself agreeing. He deserved to be happy, didn't he? And all Hawkmoth wanted was his ring. Easy enough, right?

Except when he reached to pull the ring off his finger, it was already gone. Standing, he looked around, wondering where it went. His thoughts were interrupted when the black mist surrounded him.

He stepped forward, the remnants of the cloud forming twin coat tails. The scarf was bigger - wider and longer than it had been before, it was now draped across his chest, blazing a light, baby-blue over an indigo coat. His charcoal gray pants were loosely tucked into boots of a dark color he couldn't name. He walked to his wall of fencing trophies, choosing a foil to use as a weapon. With a quick shake and a flash of gold, he changed it into a diamond-tipped walking cane before heading out.

He stopped at his window to admire what he needed a reflection to see. His hair was longer, the ends flicked up into curls. A simple silver crown sat on his head, tilted slightly to the side. He smiled as he studied the mask - it was his favorite part of the ensemble. It was the same blue as the sash, flecked with the color of the coat, and faded into colorful gemstones that trickled down his cheeks.

His smile widened, as an idea occurred to him. He waved the cane at the door, allowing Nathalie entrance. She gasped softly when she saw him, a hand over her mouth. "Adrien?" she asked softly.

"I'm the Lonely Prince, now, searching for my princess." His hand grazed the sash, and Nathalie's eyes flickered with understanding. "I would make you an evil queen, but I _suppose_ I should give you a chance, first. Or not," he snorted with a roll of his eyes.

Adrien traced a shape in the air between them, and a spinning wheel appeared. A crown glittered on Nathalie's head, and her hand moved on its own, finger reached out for the needle on the wheel. She opened her mouth to protest, to explain, but stopped as she felt the needle puncture her skin. She fell to his floor curling up on herself, her chest rising and falling in even breaths.

With a wicked laugh, the Prince jumped out the window, rolling as he hit the ground. Plagg zipped out after him, dodging the thorns that sprung from the grass where he touched his cane to the ground. Chat Noir's ring dangled from his small arms, and he flew high, looking for any sign of Tikki or Ladybug.

"What a way to start a weekend."


	2. The Princess and the Pea

"Adrien's birthday is today?"

"Yes."

"What did I get him?"

"A collection of cologne from _Gabriel_. Here, he should be passing through here at any moment on the way back to school." Sabrina handed Chloé a gift-wrapped box the size of her head.

"Good! Now _scram!_ " Chloé snapped. Sabrina ran away, heading to the other side of the street to watch. She gasped when Adrien turned the corner.

She waved her arms, trying to warn Chloé, but she was swept away into a bright blue bubble before she noticed. Sabrina ran to the bubble, hitting it with her palms. Inside, a confused Chloé looked at her before turning her attention to Adrien in a daze. She spoke, but the sound was high pitched and distorted, and the way she moved as she handed him the gift suggested that time was moving faster on the inside. Adrien glanced at Sabrina when Chloé wrapped her arms around him, a cruel smile on his face. A paper fluttered from his hands and landed on the sidewalk.

 _Don't worry,_ it read, _I'll get to everyone._  

* * *

 

Being sucked into Adrien's bubble was much nicer than being sucked into Nino's.

Of course, _anything_ Adrien did would be better than anyone else in their class. It was still startling, though, when a cool film slid across her skin and Adrien - looking like he stepped straight out of a fairy tale - stole her attention away from Sabrina. He approached her confidently, a bounce in his step that she could only describe as smug. The mask hid his face, but Chloé could recognize him by just his eyes. She was his best friend, after all. She would _always_ be able to recognize him.

"Adrikins! Happy Birthday! Here, I got you a present!" She lifted the box in her arms to him, and he took it graciously.

"Thank you, Princess." He winked at her as he opened it. "Ah! Wonderful! I suppose you have a matching set?" He raised an eyebrow at her, flirt filling his smile.

"Oh, of _course_ I do!" she fibbed. Throwing her arms around him, she kissed him on the cheek. "Only the best for us, Adrien!"

"Of course." He settled his hands on her waist and pulled her in for a hug. After a moment, he leaned back. "The present you gave me last year... What was it?"

"Oh! It was, um- well..." Chloé chuckled. "I forgot! I buy so many things for the both of us, you know? It's hard to keep track." She stiffened at his crestfallen face. "Adrien," she started, voice oddly soothing, "is everything ok? What is all... _This_ about?" She glanced down at his outfit, then traced the mask around his eyes with her fingers.

"Nothing to worry about," he said as he grabbed her hands. "Just do me a favor, ok Princess?" He winked, circling one of his fingers.

"P-Princess?" Chloé hid her smile behind her fingers. "I-"

"Shh." Adrien waved his arm, expanding the bubble. Chloé, so distracted by the city scenery changing into forest, didn't notice when he slipped away from her. When she turned back to him, she felt a weight settle on her head. She skimmed it with her fingers, then whipped out her compact (mirror) to get a good look at it.

What she saw was the most beautiful tiara she'd ever seen. She gasped as she studied it in the mirror. Golden vines threaded themselves carefully around one another, with silver leaves hanging from them. Several pod-shaped pieces of jade accompanied the leaves, all forming a peak at the center, where an emerald sat above it all.

The thing was _gorgeous,_ to say the least. Even if it did clash with her outfit.

"Adrien!" she called, "Did you get this for _me?_ " Excited, she looked all around for him, pouting when she didn't find him. What she did find, though, was a clear path laid out for her, with him (hopefully) at the end. Shrugging, she followed it.

And followed it.

And followed it.

She tried to use her phone's GPS, sure it'd find her way to... Wherever she was going. But it didn't work. In fact, _nothing_ on her phone worked.

At least the forest was pretty. 

* * *

 

The sun was setting.

That's how long she'd been on this stupid road.

There was dirt on her shoes, on her pants, and even in her hair. How _atrocious_.

And the sweat! Summer was still a month away, but the sun beat down upon her relentlessly. Thank god it was dying. Hopefully night would bring her a nice, cool, refreshing breeze-

 _"Where am I going to sleep?!"_ Chloé yelled into the trees. Tugging at her hair, she started jogging. Then she started running. She started sprinting when she heard the wolves howling in the distance.

It was only ten minutes later that she collapsed, tired and breathless. The wolves started howling again, closer, closer, closer.

She screamed. Terrified, she screamed and screamed, hoping to scare them away. It was when she paused to take a breath that she noticed the mansion she'd collapsed in front of.

Her eyes widened. She didn't see it before. She was sure it was just bushes and shrubbery just a moment ago. But it was safe, so she ran to the door and started pulling on it.

It opened inward, of course. She fell forward, knocking her elbows on the marble floor. Scrambling into the foyer, she slammed the door shut right as a dark shadow lunged for her. It hit the door with a _Bang!_ and she gasped.

"Ok," she whispered, "where am I now?"

"In the summer home of his Highness, the Prince." said a timid voice. Chloé whirled to find Mirielle standing behind her, hand held out to help her up. She took it and, with surprising strength, was yanked to her feet. "This way, he wants to see you."

"The prince? Adrien?" She gasped, patting her hair and pants to shake the dirt off. "I need a bath first! I can't meet him looking like this!"

Mirielle glanced at her. "I suppose you should be presentable."

* * *

 

The bath was amazing.

The tub was enormous, almost like a swimming pool. Waterfalls fell from the ceiling above her, offering places to shower. The water was warm and scented with roses. Chloé stretched out along a seat on the wall where jets massaged her back. "I'm in Heaven," she sighed, sinking beneath the water.

There was a knock on the door. "Miss Chloé, his Highness is asking about you."

Chloé groaned. She hadn't even used any of the nice-smelling soap that floated on the water in fancy cups. "I'll be right out!" she called as she grabbed one and half swam to the nearest waterfall. She stood beneath it, letting it wash the dust from her body. Dipping her hand into the soap, she spread it along her arms and legs and let it rinse off before rubbing some into her scalp, around the tiara she still wore.

She tried to pull it off again, but it wouldn't budge. Sighing, she left it alone and just let the water fall over her, warming her until she heard another urgent knock.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" She wrapped a towel around herself and walked to where she had set her clothes earlier. They were completely clean, to her relief. They were expensive to buy and expensive to launder as well. She slipped them on and wrapped her towel around her shoulders to keep her wet hair off her back.

She felt amazing - that bath was luxurious in a way that her own home couldn't compare. She would almost hate to leave this wonderful place, even if she was under the spell of an akuma.

"This way," Mirielle led her to what looked like a grand dining hall, where Adrien sat on a grand chair on a raised dais.

"Adrien!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands and hopping forward. "I knew you'd be here!"

"Yes, but _please_ \- refer to me as the Prince." His eyes took on a hardness she'd never seen in him before, but then they softened. "Besides, it would be rude of me to call you 'Chloé' when I should be using _Princess_ , you know?"

"Oh, yes!" She took a moment to consider what he said. "Wait! If _you're_ the Prince, and _I'm_ the Princess, does that mean I'm _your_ Princess?"

"Of course!" Adrien laughed. "But we can talk more about that tomorrow. For now, why don't we get you something to eat and a bed for the night?"

At that moment, Chloé felt her stomach clench and growl, and she wanted nothing more than something warm and tasty. Adrien must have known, because he smiled and tapped his cane against the floor. Shadows emerged from between columns, carrying trays heaped high with every food she could imagine. She squealed when she spotted her favorites.

Lost amidst the sea of food, she heard Adrien tap his cane again. She watched as tables and chairs flipped from the floor, plates and goblets and silverware attached by magic. He hopped down from the dais, completely ignoring the stairs on either side, and settled at a center table. He waved her over and she skipped to him, taking the seat to his left. He gestured to the shadows that kneeled next to them. Licking her lips, she selected quite a few things - fruit and steak and something that looked like strawberry sorbet - and gobbled it down.

It was absolutely delicious. The best she'd ever tasted. She ate her fill as Adrien watched, and when she was done he took her hand.

"I'm sure you're tired by now," he said. "There are plenty of guest bedrooms here for you to use."

"I'm-" She tried to protest, but was interrupted by a yawn. Yes, she was tired. But it was a sudden exhaustion that made her dizzy. She wobbled in her seat, falling to the side. Adrien caught her before she hit the floor. "I guess I could use some sleep," she mumbled into his chest.

"I'll take you to the guest rooms, Princess."

'Princess' sounded so nice when it came from his lips.

* * *

Chloé woke up to the sun on her face. She blinked once, twice, then jerked into a sitting position. Or, she tried to, anyway, but her head banged against a wooden beam and she fell back down clutching it.

She cursed, rubbing her forehead, then the beam. What was it doing in her way? Whose idea was it to put it there? She crossed her arms, glaring at it.

It was then that she noticed how ridiculously _soft_ her bed was. She sank into it, surrounded by down blankets and silk sheets and almost went back to sleep.

There was a knock on her door, and Adrien called out, "Princess! Are you up yet?"

 _Oh, yeah!_ she thought, _My prince is waiting for me!_ Out loud she said, "Yes! I'll be right there!"

Normally she would have sat up and swung her legs over the mattress. But she didn't quite have the room for that here. So she scooted until her feet hung off the edge to search for the floor. She kept slipping, unable to find it, until she slid completely off the bed.

And found herself falling.

She screamed, her hands sliding along a stack of mattresses to find purchase, something to catch herself. She managed to capture a hanging sheet and stop herself. Looking down, she saw that she was about halfway to the floor - a good ten feet left to go. Why did rooms in mansions have to be so tall? Panting, she used the mattresses as a ladder, slipping her hands and feet between two of them as a rung and climbing down.

Adrien was waiting for her at the bottom. He seemed completely nonplussed, considering he just watched her almost fall to her death. You'd think having seen that, he'd be more concerned for his princess. But no, the first words out of his mouth when she threw her arms around him were, "So how did you sleep?"

Chloé was taken aback by its abruptness.

"I- _What?!_ 'How did I sleep?' That's all?" She pressed her face to his chest, letting tears soak his shirt.

"Well? How _did_ you sleep?"

Shocked, Chloé looked up at him before shrugging it off. "I slept fine," she said, "the bed was amazing! I could have gone without the fall to my doom, but if that's what it takes, then so be it. Adrien? What's wrong?" He'd frowned the second she'd started her praise.

"Nothing was wrong? Everything was perfect?"

"Everything you do is perfect!"

"Then you failed," Adrien sighed. "I was _so_ hoping you wouldn't." He clutched his sash. "Sorry Chloé. It looks like you're not my princess."

"What do you mean? I failed _what?_ If this was a test, you should have told me! I would have made Sabrina make me a cheat sheet!"

Adrien sighed again. "I'm sorry, Chloé." He walked to the bed and stuck his hand between the bottom two mattresses. It went in all the way to his shoulder, and he moved it around. Finally he pulled it out and showed her what he was looking for.

Chloé blinked at the pea that sat in the palm of his hand. "What is this?" she asked. "Is this a joke?"

"This is _The Princess and the Pea_ , Chloé. You were supposed to be the Princess. You were supposed to be able to tell it was there."

"But- wait, I don't understand! I thought I was _your_ Princess! That's what you said, isn't it?"

"But you aren't a true princess. Otherwise, you would have felt the pea and been unable to sleep."

"This isn't some fairy tale! How am I supposed to feel such a small thing under _one_ mattress, much less _twenty?_ "

"I'm sorry, Chloé. You fail." He tapped the crown on her head, and it disappeared. She felt a weight around her neck and a pressure on her wrists.

Chains. Iron cuffs and collars and chains. Adrien tapped the ground in front of her and it opened up, moving towards her. She backed to the bed, but the floor gave into a slide, and she went down screaming.

Adrien shook his head as the floor righted itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired so I didn't really edit this but let me know if I made any mistakes :x


	3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Also this is unedited again, sorry!

"I need Alya!"

"What?"

"Please, Miss Bustier! Adrien's been turned into one of those monsters! The ones that Ladybug and Chat Noir fight? He kidnapped Chloé! Alya knows how to contact Ladybug, doesn't she?"

Sabrina had rushed to the school when she read the note. No one was in the classroom, but she'd found Miss Bustier in the halls. Panting, she described the situation in greater detail.

"This is serious," Bustier said as she scanned the paper. "We need to warn the class. Do know how to reach them?" Sabrina shook her head. She only had a few of their phone numbers. "Well, we need to cancel class, at least. You see if you can find Alya anywhere in the city. I'll go talk to Mr. Damocles. I'm sure he can alert their parents, at least."

* * *

"Rose, sweetie! Your principle just called. Classes have been cancelled for today."

"Thank you, Papa." Rose kissed her father on the cheek and walked out of her house, calling an "I'm going to hang out with Juleka!" over her shoulder. She had a whole weekend to look forward to, and they had planned on as many dates as possible.

Which, to be honest, would probably be only two or three. But she didn't care. As long as she was with Juleka, she would be happy.

She had just walked out of her apartment When she was engulfed by a bubble and floated to a boy who stood across the street. He joined her inside it, tasking her hand and kissing it.

"Ah, sweet Princess, how I've longed to meet you."

Rose giggled. "I'm no princess," she said. "But I _am_ late to meet up with mine."

"Your princess? Juleka?" She nodded. "Oh, don't worry. You'll see her soon enough, I'm sure. But right now, I need help finding _my_ princess. Can you do me a favor?"

"Maybe. But that depends. Who are you, first of all? Why should I potentially miss my date for you?"

"Oh! Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Lonely Prince." Placing a hand against his chest, he bowed. "I was given a gift on my birthday one year ago, and I thought it was from my father." He straightened, his eyes boring holes into her. "It was not. It was from one of my classmates, and I want to know who suffered from this injustice brought about by my father's negligence."

Rose thought for a moment. _His birthday? A year ago? Isn't there someone who has a birthday around now?_ "Adrien?"

"I want to know who gave me my scarf."

"Well it wasn't me, I can tell you that much."

"Well, we'll see now, won't we?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have a test for you. It'll tell me if you really are the one who did it or not."

"But I'm not!" she insisted.

He took her hands. "I can't believe that, Rose. I told everyone that scarf was from my father, and no one ever spoke up. Why would whoever gave it to me do that now? Trust me, you'll be fine." Rose tried to protest, but Adrien silence her when he slipped a crown onto her head.

The crown was gold, with one spire that expanded into a cloud of green dotted with red rubies. It was an apple tree, plain and simple, and she barely had time to grab it before she was whisked away to a field of wildflowers.

Distracted by their beauty, Rose tucked her encounter into the back of her mind. Surely someone who could make such a wonderful place couldn't be so bad.

It was an hour of frolicking later when a shadow fell over her. Gasping, she turned and jumped backwards, arms held up in defense. With wide eyes she looked at a big, burly man - Adrien's driver. He hovered above her, a long hunting knife in his hand. Squeaking, she scrambled away, yanking grass from the ground and staining her clothes. He raised his arm, the blade of the knife flashing in the sun, and brought it down beside her.

"I can't do it," he breathed, falling to his knees. "I can't hurt such an innocent creature." He lifted his head to meet her eyes. "Run, child. Run deep into the woods, or you'll be dead by the queen's hands."

Rose gulped. She didn't know what was going on, but she did know this man was saving her life. "R-right." She stood and started towards the forest, but stopped before it. Turning back, she ran to the man and placed a crown of flowers on his head. "Thank you," she told him, and then she disappeared.

* * *

Running through the trees was easy. She was small enough to slip through the tangles and beneath low-hanging branches. As day turned to a chilling night, she came across a clearing with a house sitting in the middle.

It was a quaint place, with stone walls and a thatched roof. Rose approached it cautiously, sneaking from bushes to stump, observing it carefully. From what she could see, it looked abandoned - something that gave her both relief and fear.

She opened the heavy wooden door and entered, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. She stepped deeper into the house, scanning the room - a simple sitting room with an adjacent kitchen. Walking over to the rather large fireplace, she set kindling and logs in it and lit it with the matches that were sitting on the mantle. She blew on the spark, hoping it would ignite. It died, along with her hope.

Pouting, she took the matches and used them to light her way around the house. Her search revealed a staircase at the back, leading to a hallway. The doors on either side ran along the length of the house, separating the upper floor into rooms. She ran her fingers along the first door and pushed it open.

Inside was a clean room. She walked in and studied the lavish furniture - a desk in the corner and a chair for it; a small table at the window that held an array of flowers; a cushy bed that she sank into with a sigh.

She'd only meant to sit for a minute. She really did. But when she closed her eyes to rest, she found herself exhausted. She drifted off to dreams of dancing, her dress swishing and swaying, intermingled with colors she could never imagine.

It was a shock when she woke to faces hovering over her. Blinking her weariness away, she mumbled a greeting. She was rubbing her eyes when one person stepped forward.

"Who are you?" he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"My name's Rose. I was just taking a nap, I guess. Sorry about that."

"Rose?" A look spread amongst the people - _Seven of them,_ Rose counted. _And they all look like people I've seen from school._ There was Aurore and Mirielle and that boy with the purple pants and a few others that she recalled only the faces of. They turned to her, and one asked, "Rose as in her Highness, the Princess?"

"I'm not the princess." Rose shook her head, then tilted it. "The queen has something against me, though. Adrien's driver told me to run or she'd kill me."

"That sounds like her," Aurore said. Everyone turned to look at her, and she shrugged. "She's incredibly vain. Her bad attitude, plus the princess' kind nature and 'enchanting beauty-'" she made air quotes "-makes the princess a threat to her crown."

"Well, in any case," continued the boy in the purple pants, "the queen has put a hit out on her own stepdaughter. If the kingdom catches wind of that, it could lead to a revolt-" ("A well-needed one," mumbled Aurore) "-and if that happens, the princess will be able to take over. We must keep her safe until then."

"It's not a problem," Rose said. "I doubt the queen even knows I'm still alive."

* * *

"Ah! You're back!" Chloé ran to the Gorilla and hopped up and down. "Did you do it?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes," he told her, holding out a box. "Her heart is-"

"Ew! I don't care about that! Now leave!" She pushed him out the door and rushed to open the secret compartment with the magic mirror. "Plagg!" she yelled at it, knocking against the glass. "Plagg Plagg Plagg!"

"I hear you!" it yelled back at her. Chloé found it odd that it spoke with Adrien's voice, but dismissed it when his face appeared. "I've told you, time and time again, to _use the rhyme!_ "

"But this is much faster." She pouted before smiling widely. "So tell me, who's the most beautiful, gorgeous, amazing person in the world?"

"Still Princess Rose," he said with a sigh. Chloé gaped.

"No way! You told _I_ would be if he got rid of her!"

"He didn't get rid of her." His face bobbed as if he'd shrugged. "She's still alive, just run away."

"Whatever. She's gone now, no problem." Chloé picked up a hand mirror and started messing with her hair.

"There is a problem," Plagg said. "The people are... _Unhappy_ about the stunt you pulled." The surface of her own mirror flashed, playing scenes of farmers and workers huddling in groups and gossiping. One image even showed them grabbing torches and pitchforks.

"Are you telling me they plan on killing me because I tried to have Rose killed?"

"Yes."

She groaned. "I told you that was a bad idea! Why did I listen to you! You're probably lying about the whole 'omnipotent' thing, too. _Honestly!_ I never should have believed you! There's no one in the world that's prettier than me! _Ugh!_ "

"Are you done?" Irritation was unusual on Adrien's face, and Chloé had to remind herself that this wasn't Adrien, but some being that called himself Plagg.

"Yes."

"Then I have a solution. If the Princess dies, so does the hope of the people. I have some magic to teach you..."

* * *

The sun was shining. The day was grand. Rose skipped through the forest after her seven new friends. They'd insisted she stay at their house, hidden, but she'd insisted on going with them. And she picked every flower along the way.

"To brighten up the house," she'd say when she got a weird look. "You can never have too much color."

And it was the colors of the merchant booth that caught her eye when they passed it. It sat on the edge of a nearby road, surrounded by hundreds of flowers, books, ribbons, and - Rose gasped.

_"Are those stickers?!"_

She raced to the table. Sitting on its top were pages upon pages of glittery scrapbooking stickers. She hopped up and down, laughing, and ran her hands over them. The girl behind the counter chuckled with her.

"Like what you see?" she asked, sliding more sheets onto the table.

"Of course!" Rose exclaimed, "How could anyone _not?_ " She shuffled through the pages of stickers and chose a few she liked. "How much?"

The girl waved her hands. "Take them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's rare to find someone who shares my enthusiasm for this stuff." She smiled, and Rose dug through her pockets. She pulled out a few coins and placed them on the table. The girl eyed them. "I said no cost."

"It's okay! You have to make money somehow, don't you?"

"In that case, take this, too." She pulled a purple ribbon from her lap. "You can use it as a necklace or something."

Rose took it tentatively. "Are you sure?"

"Yep!" Her smile pulled at her lips now, looking forced. Rose ignored it and tied the ribbon loosely around her neck.

"Thank you!" Smiling, she hugged the stickers to her chest to rejoin the others.

"Where have you been?" asked one girl - Juliette, Rose remembered.

"Just getting something to make the house prettier."

"More flowers?" Juliette smiled gently. Her smile faltered when Rose's eyes bugged out. "Rose?"

Her hands flew to her neck, gripping the ribbon that tightened around it. Juliette screamed her name again.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe no matter what she did. She sank to the ground, clawing at the grass, until a flash of silver entered her vision. She heard a sob, a _snip_ , and then the ribbon fell from her neck. Blinking, she looked up to see the girl from the booth sitting across from her, scissors in hand.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. She threw her arms around Rose, holding her tight as she cried into her shoulder. "The queen- she made me do it! She threatened my family! Please, _please_ forgive me!"

Rose blinked. "What...?"

The girl pulled back and rubbed her cheeks. Sniffling, she explained, "The queen... She told me to give you. It's enchanted, to k-kill you. I'm so sorry!" she cried again, sobbing into her hands.

Rose looked around, to the people surrounding her. Something about this was familiar to her. She shook her head, shaking the feeling away. "It's fine," she said, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. She smiled.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "Please, Princess, be careful. The queen is cunning. If she knows you're still alive, she'll come after you again."

"She obviously has a way to know, though. Otherwise she wouldn't have done this."

* * *

"Don't go into town."

"I know."

"Don't talk to any strangers."

"I've known that since I was ten."

"Don't eat any strange mushrooms."

"That has nothing to do with the queen. Also, that's basic survival 101."

"Well, then just a few more..."

Rose groaned as Juliette continued talking even as she was dragged out of the house. She heard her voice all the way to the edge of the meadow before it disappeared.

And then silence filled the house. Sighing, Rose set out to find vases. She still had a bundle of flowers from yesterday to keep healthy, and with everyone doting on her since her accident, she hadn't had a chance to water them properly. Even now, they looked somewhat wilted, having been shoved into one overcrowded bowl.

And she still had stickers, too. Sure, she'd bought them from the same person who gave her the enchanted ribbon, but that didn't make them evil. So, once her flower issue had been settled, she decorated the walls, sticking a rainbow here, or a smiley face there. Each door upstairs got its own sticker, too. Her final objective was her room - or the room that had been designated as hers.

_Cone to think of it,_ she thought as she plastered several unicorns to the mirror in her vanity, _I haven't had a chance to explore._

She didn't know what she expected. Maybe a hidden room in the back of the closet, or hidden jewels beneath a loose floorboard. Perhaps there would be a long lost love letter tucked among the pages of a book. But no, she had no luck. The closet was bare, the floor was steady, and the only thing she got from thumbing through the books was a paper cut.

Sighing, she sank onto the bed. She rolled to one side, then the other. She rolled to the edge of the bed, then to the wall. _Man,_ staying at home all day was boring. She rolled back to the edge of the bed and sat up, squeezing the blankets between her fingers. Something crinkled under her palm, and she removed her hand to find the back of the sticker paper. She gathered the discarded papers and opened the drawer of her bedside table to hide them.

"Ooooh, what are you?" Nestled in a silken box, much like one acquired from a jeweler, was a comb. It was just sitting there, in the drawer. Rose was sure she'd checked it earlier, and there was nothing in it before. She poked the comb with a tentative finger, withdrawing her hand as soon as she touched it. Rubbing the finger with her other hand, she inspected it and found no damage done. She gave the comb a few more pokes before finally picking it up.

It was decorative, that she knew. Meant to sit in your hair to accent an outfit. And _expensive,_ too. It was gold, with shimmering gems that looked to be the highest quality. Rose walked to the mirror and held the comb behind her ear - or maybe it would look better on top of her head. Squinting, she adjusted the comb until it looked good - and then threw it to the vanity in exasperation.

"My hair's too short, and this tiara's in the way."

~

(The entire castle shook with the queen's furious screeches.)

* * *

She never knew how messy cooking was. Marinette could cook. Alya could (almost) cook. Juleka could make amazing dishes out of like three ingredients.

But Rose?

Rose was not gifted in the culinary arts in any way, shape, or form. This was made glaringly obvious as she stood, covered head-to-toe in flour, sugar, and honey. With a matching kitchen. Blinking her wide blue eyes, she started to clean up - beginning with herself. She wiped her face and dusted her clothes, then realized that would probably work better after she washed her hands. She had just gotten the majority of the flour off (leaving trace amounts on her dress) when she heard the voice in the window.

"My, my. What happened here?" A grizzled old woman was peeking in to the kitchen.

Rose shrugged. "Cooking is harder than it looks." She found a tag and started wiping the counter.

"You did all this?" The woman laughed. "And here I thought no one could be as messy as me! Would you like some help cleaning up?"

"I wouldn't mind some."

"Oh." The woman eyed the flour coating the walls and ceiling and scrunched her nose. "I'll send for my grandson. In the meantime, here." She hefted a basket onto the sill and unfolded a blanket covering brilliant red apples. She plucked one from the top and held it out.

Rose shook her head. "I couldn't. They're yours."

"Oh, I insist. You obviously can't feed yourself. Just eat it while I run home to get help."

Taking the apple, Rose held it to her nose and sniffed it. It certainly _smelled_ delicious, nice and sweet. She lowered it to her lips and bared her teeth against it, about to take a bite, wondering why this situation felt so familiar. Smiling, she bit into it with a _Crunch!_ and promptly fell to the floor.

The woman cackled, her skin rippling into a younger version of herself, and Chloé stood looking down at Rose's slumped form. "You're so gullible! I tried to kill you _yesterday_ for crying out loud!" She laughed again and turned to walk away, but bumped into something and fell on her bottom. "Ugh! What the- _Oh!_ Adrien!" She jumped up and threw herself at him, but he sidestepped and sent her sprawling to the ground.

"You tried to kill the princess?" he asked, glaring down at her. His eyes flicked to the window, where he could see Rose. "You _did_ kill the princess."

"Uh, you knew that. _you're_ the one that taught me the magic." She sounded smug.

"I did not." Glaring at her again, he gestured behind him. Two people grabbed her and pulled off her shoes, replacing them with iron boots.

"What are you doing?" Chloé asked, scared. She tried to pull away, to run, but was unable to. The bottom of the boots opened up and another person poured hot coals into them before closing them again. "Adrien, stop! Please!" Her wrists were tied to a branch above her, leaving her hanging in the boots as they heated up. A fire was started beneath her feet, and she started crying as pain seared her soles. Gasping, she begged him to let her go. Kicking, she tried to escape.

But Adrien ignored her, forcing open the door of the house. Kneeling beside her, he slid an arm under Rose's body and lifted her up, caressing her face.

"I'm so sorry, Princess," he whispered. "I was too late." Leaning down, he closed his eyes. "Just one kiss, before you're lost forever."

_Hee hee hee._

His eyes snapped open. Rose was peeking at him through one half-open eye. She giggled again when she saw his shocked expression.

"You're supposed to be dead!" he exclaimed, dropping her. She landed with an _oof!_ but immediately sat up and smiled at him.

"I figured it out! This is Snow White."

"You ate the apple! How?" He ignored her at first, but then she lifted the apple to his face.

"I only pretended to!" There was a ring of broken skin on the apple from where her teeth sank into it, but that was the only blemish. She beamed at Adrien, but he sneered in disgust. Her face fell. "Wait, this was the test, right?"

"No," he sighed. "You were supposed to act out the fairy tale."

"Oh. Sorry." She jumped when she heard Chloé scream. "What was that?" She turned to the window.

"Nothing," Adrien sighed. "But you fail. You let me down, Rose." He waved his hand, and with a squeak, she fell through the hole that opened below her.


	4. Snow-White and Rose-Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snow White is a common Fairy Tale name, apparently.

The Lonely Prince sighed. He'd gone to school, hoping to find someone there, but found himself all alone. Until he ran into Miss Bustier, who informed him of the call that kept his classmates away.

 _Oh well,_ he thought. _I guess I just have to find them on my own._

* * *

"I really appreciate this, Nath."

"It's no problem." Smiling, Nathanaël sipped his tea. "Eight months, huh?" Eight months since Mylène and Ivan started dating.

Ivan smiled down at the picture of her he kept in a locket. "It'll be a year before we know it. I just want to do something special, you know? And what better than a hand-drawn collage of some of our best moments?"

"Mylène will love it, but it won't be cheap."

"I know. I've been working hard to do this for her. Thank you, again."

"No problem." Nathanaël smiled again and leaned back in his seat, looking over the menu he held. Ivan marveled at how calm he acted outside of class. Normally, the artist was a nervous wreck.

 _Well,_ thought Ivan, _I know he's done some commission work in the past. I guess you need to keep a cool head for business deals._

Nathanaël's 'cool head' evaporated when he looked behind Ivan. He stood, panic on his face, and Ivan turned to see what was worrying him.

 _Yeah, that's pretty worrying,_ Ivan thought as an akuma approached them.

"I need your help," it said, brushing aside its blond hair.

"N-n-no thank you," Nathanaël stammered out. His back stiff, he turned to leave but hit the edge of a bubble as it swallowed him and Ivan. "W-what is this?"

"Just a test," the Prince said. "All you have to do is pass it."

"What kind of test?" Ivan asked, glaring. There was no escape now, might as well play along.

"Just do what comes naturally," he told them. Then he snapped his fingers and the city changed.

The table Ivan sat at disappeared, as well as Nathanaël's abandoned chair. The chair beneath him changed into a stump. Moss exploded from the sidewalk, growing in between freshly sprouted trees. The paved road became an overgrown trail.

"Your house is that way." The Prince pointed in one direction. "That's where the story starts. And one more thing-" He placed two crowns on their heads, frowned, then switched them. "Too much red," he said as he took the one from Nathanaël. The crowns were identical in form - rose bushes and thorned vines tangled around each other in a way that wrapped around the head - but differed in the colored jewels that formed the petals of the roses. On Ivan's crown, they were scarlet rubies and deep garnets. On Nathanaël's, they were white pearls and rainbow opals.

The Prince disappeared. Nathanaël gripped Ivan's shoulder and gulped. "What should we do?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Go home," Ivan shrugged. "All we can do now is wait for Ladybug."

* * *

"It's getting colder." Nathanaël's teeth chattered. He moved closer to Ivan for warmth.

"I'm sure we'll be there soon. We've been walking all day." It was mere seconds after he said it when a light began to glimmer through the dark forest. "See? That has to be it."

They walked to the door and knocked on it. A moment later, Miss Bustier opened the door and smiled.

"There are my little troublemakers!" she said as she ushered them in. "You've been out late today. Come on, dinner's ready." She ladled some soup into bowls and set them on the table.

"Um." Ivan and Nathanaël exchanged glances. Before they could get another word out, she pushed them to the table and sat them down. They shrugged at each other and picked up a spoon to eat. Might as well make the best of this while they could.

It was an hour later, when they had their bellies full and toes warmed, that there was another knock on the door.

"Will you get that, Ivan?" Miss Bustier called from the kitchen. "I'm busy washing dishes." Ivan stood up, walked to the door, opened it, closed it, then sat on the ground in front of the fireplace.

"Nathanaël?"

"Hm?"

"Are there bears in Paris?"

"What?"

There was another knock. Miss Bustier called for them to open it again. Ivan ignored it until a voice came from outside.

"Excuse me," it said, "but it's kind of cold out here."

Miss Bustier yelled for them to let the poor freezing soul in. Nathanaël looked from Ivan to the door and stood. He approached it cautiously, moving slowly to twist the knob and crack it open enough to look through. He gulped when he met nothing but an expanse of black fur and beady eyes.

Ivan's strange question didn't seem so odd now.

He tried to slam the door, but it stuck its paw into the crack and forced it wide enough to get through. "I'm sorry," it said as Nathanaël hid behind Ivan, "but it's cold out and my cave is no longer safe. Could I stay here for a while? I'll be gone in the morning."

"I suppose you can," said Miss Bustier from the hall. "Make yourself comfortable, Mr.-"

"Just call me Bear." He waddled to the fireplace and settled down in front of it. Before long he was snoring, snow melting off his fur to puddle on the ground. Ivan and Nathanaël moved away from him, trying to escape into the hall, but Miss Bustier blocked their way.

"It's too cold in the back, boys. It'll be better to sleep in here, beside the fire. I'm sure Bear will keep you warm, too."

Nathanaël glanced at Bear's massive paws and sharp claws. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by a stern look. Miss Bustier locked the door leading to the rest of their small house before settling into a chair just beside the fireplace.

"Look, we just need to hang on long enough for Ladybug and Chat Noir," Ivan said as he sat on the mantle. "Just stay away from the bear."

Nathanaël glanced at it. "Let's hope they don't take too long."

The morning came way too quickly for Ivan's taste. In fact, it felt like all he did was blink. But he still felt rested. Nathanaël woke up not long after him, and together they watch as the bear left the house without a sound.

* * *

There's a routine that they settle in to. In the morning they woke up and Miss Bustier rushes them outside. They explore the woods that surround the cabin, eating lunches they were given until night, then return for supper at dusk. The bear came every night, and though it took some getting used to ("Aren't bears supposed to hibernate all the way through winter?") they grew more comfortable around him.

One night, when it was warm out, he didn't come back. Ivan and Nathanaël had a fleeting moment of concern for him, but brushed it off. They shouldn't be worried about a strange bear in the middle of an akuma attack. Illusion. Whatever this was.

It was another warm day when they were exploring that they saw Rose.

"Ivan! Nathanaël!" she called. She waved them over to her, a nervous smile on her face. "Can you guys help me?" she asked when they were closer. "I got stuck..." She gestured behind her, and they noticed something they hadn't seen before - her normally short hair was longer than they'd ever seen it, and a tree had fallen on it, trapping her in place. Ivan and Nathanaël exchanged a quick glance, then put their hands on the trunk of the tree.

"I didn't... think we'd run... into anyone we knew here," said Ivan as he started pushing.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either." Rose started pushing as well, trying to help. "But Adrien's become an akuma. He's going on about something that happened last year, on his birthday." She slumped down onto the rough bark of the trunk to catch her breath. "He told me he was looking for a princess, someone in our class. He's been putting us to the test, apparently, but I failed mine. It looks like you're next."

"I don't know..." Nathanaël panted. "All we've done since we ran into him is live normally."

"Except for the bear."

"Yes, except for the bear."

"Bear?" Rose was confused.

Ivan explained their situation as Nathanaël threw his hand up in exasperation.

"This isn't working," he told them, then showed them his palms. "I'm getting all scratched up."

Rose sighed. "Do you have any scissors? We could cut my hair. I don't like it being so long anyway."

Nathanaël dug through his bag for his scissors, and ten minutes later, Rose's hair was back to its original length. She ran her fingers through it, smiling widely. Nathanaël eyed the pile of hair still stuck beneath the tree and asked, "What happened, exactly? How did it fall on you?"

"Oh!" Rose gasped, then ran to the tree's exposed roots. She looked around them for a minute and pulled a sack from under one. "This! I saw this shining in the sun and came over to see what it was. There was a strong gust of wind and I guess the soul here is loose, so it just kind of fell. I was lucky it only got my hair." She opened it and gasped again.

The boys leaned in together, almost knocking heads, and felt their eyes widen. Breathless, Nathanaël reached out and scooped up a handful of the bag's contents.

"Is this gold?" he breathed, the coins reflecting in his eyes.

"I... I think so. It looked liked it was hidden," Rose answered.

"We should put it back," Ivan said. "Hide it better." As an afterthought, he grabbed a small handful and gave it to Rose, another one to give to Nathanaël, and a last one for himself. "Whoever hid it won't miss such a small amount." _And it'll help pay for Mylène's collage,_ he thought to himself.

Rose and Nathanaël nodded, then buried the bag in the tree roots again. Together, the three of them decided to return to the temporary home the boys shared with their teacher. The house was in their sight when a voice from deeper in the forest startled them.

"What are you doing with that thief?!" it yelled, and all three shivered at the anger they heard in it.

Ivan turned, an apology already falling from his lips, and stopped when he saw Bear lumbering toward them. He waved to him, bashful to be caught taking the gold.

But Bear ignored him. He stood in front of Rose, a growl rising from his throat. She whimpered, but was otherwise quiet, and threw her hands up in surrender. Her eyes were wide, blinking quickly, and Ivan knew he had to step in.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, pulling Rose behind him.

"The gold under the tree," Bear replied. "It was mine and I _saw_ her take it. Besides," he mumbled to himself, "this isn't how the story goes."

Ivan was confused, but he needed to diffuse the situation. "Taking the gold was my idea. It was only a few pieces, and I didn't think you would miss it. I'm sorry."

Bear turned his gaze to him. "It was you who took it?" He glanced at Nathanaël. "And you agreed?" Nathanaël nodded, and Bear sighed. "You failed. I can't believe you failed."

Ivan wanted to ask _what_ exactly he failed, but was cut off when Bear shoved him aside and struck Rose with his paw. She yelped in surprise and fell to the ground, blood dripping down her face. Nathanaël took his jacket of and knelt next to her, pressing it to her face. She sat up, panting. Tears glistened in the eye that wasn't covered, and Nathanaël helped her stand, pulling her away when Bear tried to swipe at her again.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed, pushing her towards the house.

"It was my idea to take your gold, not hers!" Ivan added.

"The curse says I can't change back until she's dead."

Rose sobbed. "I didn't curse you." Her voice was weak, quivering with fear. "Is this what happened to- to whoever that was last time? Did you kill them?"

Bear considered it for a moment, and they took this time to run. "I suppose she's dead by now, yes." He blinked away his contemplation, then charged after the retreating thieves. He raced past Ivan and Nathanaël, ignoring them in favor of attacking the one that would turn him back into a human.

Only when Rose lay dead on the ground did Ivan and Nathanaël stop, sorrow halting their steps.

Bear stood, shaking the fur from his shoulders. The prince from earlier discarded the skin, throwing it over Rose's body. He glared back at the boys, and before either could shout for them to run, flicked his cane at them, and they fell through holes that appear beneath them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't think I'd skip the boys, did you??  
> Also, I'm sorry for not updating sooner. And that this chapter was so short. And kind of bad?? It's really rushed lmao. But the next chapter shouldn't take so long. I'm excited for it~


	5. The Twelve Huntsmen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, remember how I said I was excited for the next chapter? Well, I lied.  
> Not really. I just rearranged the order so that the chapter I was excited for was more towards the end.

Kim was always prepared for anything, but that was only if you asked _him._ To others, he was the _least_ prepared of all their classmates. (But his best friend was Max, who seemed to have everything needed for any situation. They made a good pair.)

If there was anything _all_ good Parisians were prepared for, it was an akuma attack. They constantly checked the news before heading out, just to see if it was safe. But even if there was no warning, they were able to take it all in stride. All they had to do was run, and if that was unavailable, wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir. That's just what living with the attacks for a year did, they supposed.

So when Kim found himself confronted with one, he did exactly that - he ran. But man, akuma were fast. This one caught up to him in no time and trapped him, told him about his scarf, and slapped a crown on his head.

Which is how he found himself facing eleven other Kims. They were all identical to him, from their spotless shoes to their pompadour hair. Wait, scratch that - the bleached part of his hair was dyed a different color on the others. Pink, blue, red, purple, and so on. Absently, he noticed that they matched the crown he couldn't seem to remove - it was a silver crown with twelve spires growing from the base; at the top of each spire was a gem whose color corresponded to one of the Kims.

"So... What?" he asked, staring between his clones.

"Don't you remember?" said one, his hair ghostly white. "The Prince is your lover, isn't he? You hired us to pose as huntsmen to get close to him."

Kim blinked. "I don't even know the Prince," he said, his nose wrinkling.

"Then why are we here?" asked one whose hair was its natural black. He put his hands on his hips and turned to the green-haired Kim that spoke up.

"Well, we're here now. Might as well bask in the Prince's gracious hospitality."

There was a beat of silence.

_"WOOHOO!"_

* * *

Kim severely hoped the cleanup was magical. He wasn't quite sure how anyone would fix the torn mattresses or get the pizza sauce off the ceiling. But _man,_ that night was wild. He wouldn't change a thing, given the chance to try again.

Well, for the most part. He kind of wished he had gotten more sleep when an attendant came to wake him and his clones up at the crack of dawn.

"Milord," said the man as he knocked on the door of the room, "the Prince requests you and your party in the Great Hall."

"Uuuuuuuugh," multiple Kims moaned in reply.

"Five more minutes," mumbled one with orange hair.

But the attendant was persistent, and wouldn't relent in his knocking and calling. It took ten minutes for all twelve Kims to wake up, and another hour for them to get ready. ("Whose idea was it to only have one bathroom for twelve people, anyway?")

But by the time they were cleaned up, they were more than awake enough to face the day. Between that and the coffee that someone brought them, they had enough energy to outshine the sun.

"Race you to the hall!" Kim shouted as he ran through the door. "Last one there has to buy lunch for everyone!" He laughed when he heard the clamor of a dozen footsteps behind him as everyone slid into their shoes and shot out the door. Sure, the threat of paying for everyone was empty; they were guests in a palace, they didn't have to buy a thing. But winning for the sake of it was a good enough reason to go as fast as they could. The never ending desire to win was Kim's pride as an athlete, one that was replicated in every clone.

They were so lost in their game, however, that they didn't notice the peas strewn about the floor of the Great Hall.

Cursing as one dug into the middle of his foot, Kim hopped around on one leg as he brushed it off. Another Kim barreled into him, knocking him to the floor and falling on top of him. The rest came soon after, forming a pile in the doorway.

"What is this?" demanded a strong voice from the front of the room. Kim looked up and waved at the akuma from earlier.

"Heeeey, are you the prince-dude? I thought you were just an akuma."

"I am the Prince, yes. What are you doing on the floor?"

"Racing. By the way!" He crawled out from beneath the pile and pointed to a blue-haired clone. "Lunch is on you!" He laughed, and the rest of his clones joined him. (Minus the blue one. He just made noises of despair as he checked his wallet.)

The Prince _hmph_ ed. "I was warned you might be barbarians, but this goes beyond my expectations. I should have you jailed for fail-"

"Woah, woah, wait wait wait!" Kim cut off the Prince. "Go to jail? For tripping over some - are those peas? - when we were preoccupied? That hardly seems fair."

The Prince crossed his arms. "The story does test the princess multiple times," he said mostly to himself. "But then they did pass them all. Then again, they _did_ have help. Oh, I wish Plagg were here! He could help me sort this out."

"Who's Plagg?"

"My lion," the Prince replied, waving his hand absently. Kim's eyes widened.

"You have a lion?!" he asked, hopping up and down in excitement.

"Yes, if course" The Prince answered as of it were common knowledge. "He's beautiful and black and gives the best advice." He sighed, and mumbled to himself, "I just wish he were the _real_ Plagg."

But Kim didn't catch that part. "Gives advice? _Do you have a talking lion?_ "

"Yes," the Prince sighed again. "I'm tired of this conversation. Go back to bed."

"But I just woke- _yawn_ -up." Kim's eyelids started drooping. "Maybe I'm more tired than I thought." He followed his clones back to the room they shared and fell into his bed.

* * *

The Kim woke up feeling better than ever. He sat up, stretched, and yawned. The Prince really did know luxury. Speaking of the Prince...

 _Knock knock knock._ "The Prince requests you and your party in the Great Hall."

There were more groans again today, even though all the clones had slept well. Kim just wasn't a morning person. But he dragged himself out of bed and walked to the Great Hall, the line of colorful Kims following suit. His heavy-lidded eyes popped open when he noticed an array of baseball bats lined up along the wall.

He ran towards them as his clones lined up in front of the throne. There were bats of every size, every weight, every material! Picking up a heavy metal one, he swung it around as if hitting an invisible ball.

"Yo! Dude! Are we playing baseball today? I got a pretty great team if you ask me!"

"You are a _hunting_ party. If we do anything together, it will be _hunting_."

The Prince did not sound amused.

Kim twirled to meet his gaze, fear running through him at the Prince's angry eyes. He gulped, then set the bat down gently. Quietly, he walked to join his group and stuttered out an apology. The Prince narrowed his eyes, glaring down at Kim, and cleared his throat.

"I was hoping to arrange an outing. There is a pack of wild dogs roaming the nearby woods, attacking villages and stealing food. You and your _huntsmen-"_ he hissed the word "-would be a great help in subduing them."

"Yes, Your Highness. Of course." Kim said, solemn.

"Good. We leave in an hour."

* * *

Kim's horse whinnied in aggravation, not used to such an unskilled rider. That was what Kim thought it was doing, anyway.

He really hoped it wasn't about to throw him.

They rode deep into the forest, the Prince's men tracking the dogs while his were at the ready with spears and crossbows. He even had a clumsy grip on his own spear, though he had no idea how to use it. Truth be told, he would have preferred a crossbow. Those were easy - just pull the trigger, right? He grimaced as he realized he had _no flipping clue_ how weapons in general worked. _Maybe it would be best if I didn't have a weapon at all._

But he was scared to go against the Prince's orders. There was a cold glint in his eye that spoke of immeasurable anger. If he defied the Prince in any way, he would be punished horribly.

So he kept quiet as the Prince led the party to the top of a cliff and just took in the view.

"Sure is gorgeous up here," he said.

"Indeed." The Price nodded, then turned to his advisor. ( _Is that Mr. Damocles?_ thought Kim) "When do we need to be back at the palace?"

"Not until dusk." Damocles stared up at the sky, studying the position of the sun. "That gives us another five hours."

"I though you were in control here," Kim told the Prince, "don't you get to decide when you come and go?"

"I have guests coming tonight. My fiancé, a princess from another kingdom."

"You found your princess? That's awesome!"

"What?" The Prince looked taken aback. "You're happy about that?"

"Yeah! That means you found the one who made your scarf, right? Way to go!"

The Prince's mouth dropped open. He huffed, then glared at Kim. "I should have stopped this at the peas," he muttered. "In any case, you've failed these trials."

"Trials?"

"You tripped over the peas in the Great Hall-"

"We were racing!"

"Your attention went straight to those clubs this morning-"

" _Clubs?_ Those were baseball bats!"

"And now you don't care that I'm betrothed to someone other than you?" The Prince scrunched his nose. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from you in the first place." He waved his hand and the horse Kim was using disappeared, making him fall to the ground with an _Oof!_

The Prince stood over him, more menacing atop his mount. Kim held his spear against his chest, clutching it in protection. With shaking hands, he tilted it until the head was pointed at the Prince. And then he fell, the world around him disappearing as he fell through the hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow that was a short chapter. I don't have any of the next one written up yet, so please be patient :p
> 
> OH OH OH I ALMOST FORGOT!!!  
> Kawaguardian on tumblr drew The Lonely Prince!!!! Go check it out!!!!  
> http://kawaguardian.tumblr.com/post/142332367492/ml-lonely-prince-wip-goddessapostle-this


	6. The Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired and I didn't proofread/edit this so weeeeeeee

"Alix, I-"

"Jesus Christ!"

Ok, maybe punching the akuma was a bad idea. But in her defense, it shouldn't have popped up in front of her out of no where. It scared Alix, and she had a tendency to punch things that scared her.

The akuma reared back, cupping his cheek. It gave her a narrow-eyed glare from the ground and it was then that Alix realized she should have been running instead of gawking. She took off, hopping into the road to go around the akuma, then zig-zagging her way through a crowd of tourists. She slid around the corner and into the park, cursing herself for forgetting her skates. She raced past a bench, tripping over a cane that was thrust into her path. She hit the ground hard, her chin bouncing off a rock.

"Shit," she cursed as she rubbed her chin. "Watch it!" she snapped at the person on the bench. Her face paled when she saw the Prince sitting there, his legs crossed.

"You know," he said as he tapped his cane against the ground, "I thought I'd talk to the princess first. Get them used to me, see if they appreciated the story more if they saw what it meant to me." Alix stood and ran, but hit a near-invisible wall. The Prince created a crown with pink flowers and put it on her head while she was distracted. She turned to face him.

"What do you even want?" she asked, trying to pull the crown off.

"I just want to find the person that gave me this scarf. That's all. Just do your part for this."

And then he disappeared. Alix leaned against the wall only for it to disappear. She flailed her arms to keep her balance, but fell backwards anyway. She was caught by someone, their elbows under her armpits. Looking up, she found Nathanaël's face smiling nervously down at her.

You got caught, too, huh?" he asked as he righted her.

"What's his deal?" She glared at where the Prince had stood.

"It's Adrien." Well _that_ was a surprise. It'd been so long since anyone in their class had become an akuma that she thought the last two - Adrien and Marinette - would never be infected.

"What happened to make him... Like _that?_ "

"Remember that scarf he got last year? The one he got from his father for his birthday? Well, turns out it was a gift stolen from someone in our class. Adrien didn't take it very well."

Alix snorted. "It's got to be from Marinette. I didn't even know when his birthday was until that thing with Nino, and she has that massive crush on him. Of _course_ it's from her."

Nathanaël nodded, dejected. "Yeah." Alix put a hand on his shoulder, giving support for his unrequited crush. Nathanaël took it and gave her a tight smile. "I'm fine. Just... Yeah."

Alix let a beat of silence pass, then, "So what exactly are we doing here? This doesn't seem like a normal akuma power." It was true. The akuma seemed to have captured her and plopped her down into a nice plot of land overlooking a sparkling blue lake. To be honest, it was too pretty to feel like a kidnapping.

"Apparently he's been putting us in fairy tales. We have to act them out and..." He bit his lip. "I think... I think if we don't do it exactly the way he wants it to go, he makes us play the bad guy for the next person. Rose..." He cleared his throat, and she saw his eyes shimmer.

"Well, Ladybug will fix it." She grit her teeth and looked away. "She always does."

"Will she even know, though? This akuma has... quiet powers, or something. Everything inside the bubble is under his control. I don't think anything gets out."

"I'm guessing that that includes us." Alix sighed. "So Paris doesn't know about him yet. Which means Ladybug doesn't either. _Augh!_ " She rubbed her head as she sat down in the grass. "So what now?"

Nathanaël shrugged. "We try to get out?" He joined her on the ground and laid down on his back. "Probably not possible, though."

"So what, we just sit around doing nothing?" Alix snorted. "That's boring." She threw her head back and looked to the sky. "I wish we had some cards or something, at least."

There was a puff of smoke above her. Her eyes widened as a deck materialized and fell onto her nose.

"Ack!" She tapped her nose with one hand and picked up the deck with the other.

"What happened?" Nathanaël asked. Alix held out the cards, and he raised an eyebrow. "Did you have those before?"

"No. They just appeared."

"How?"

"I don't know!"

They stared at the cards for a few minutes. "What happened, exactly?" Nathanaël asked on the verge of the fifth.

"I said I wanted cards and they fell in my face."

Silence.

"I want swords!"

"I want robots!"

"I want unicorns!"

"I want jet-powered roller blades!"

They shouted off more and more ridiculous requests, trying to outdo each other. Their impromptu game ended when Nathanaël wanted Chloé to apologize for all the wrong she's done. Alix busted out laughing at that, declaring it the ' _most_ impossible thing to ever happen, ever!'

They both fell on their backs, laughing. Panting, they stared up at the sky as the sun faded. The sky was awash with purples and pinks, and they watched darkness overtake the day. Stars began to peek out from the gloom, lighting up the night in lieu of the moon. Silence stretched between them, heavy on their hearts.

"I want to go home," Alix whispered to the night. Her words caught on the breeze, carried to the heavens. She shut her eyes to the stars being painted before her and bit back the sting of tears.

"Me too," Nathanaël whispered back to her. He, unlike her, took in the sight of stars in the sky. It was rare to see such a thing in the middle of a city such as Paris. He studied it, memorizing every detail so he could recreate it later. The moon rose, dulling the light released by the stars but making the scene all the more beautiful.

Nathanaël picked himself up and held a hand out for Alix. She took it graciously, and he pulled her to her feet.

"I wish we knew how to get out," he whispered, still holding her hand.

"Me too," she whispered, squeezing his hand before releasing it and grabbing her other arm. She rubbed it absently, shivering in the sudden chill. "I wish we had a nice fire and a place to stay for the night." Her stomach grumbled. "And maybe some food, too."

The moment the last word was uttered, there was an explosion of color at the edge of the crystalline lake. Trees sprouted, growing and twisting together to form walls. The leaves fell away, the wood smoothed itself into planks, and there was a beautiful home standing where once there was nothing.

Alix and Nathanaël gasped, glancing at each other before racing towards it. They reached the door at the same time and started knocking, banging furiously on the wood. When they got no answer, Alix opened the door and peeked inside.

"Whoa..." she breathed, then stepped into a large entrance hall.

The entire house was made of wood, from the stairs that curved up one side to the great doors that led deeper into the house. Dark and light wood crisscrossed in weaving patterns across the floor and walls. Torches flickered in wooden sconces. How the fire didn't spread was a mystery.

Alix walked to the doors at the other side of the hall and through them into a grand dining room. Nathanaël followed her, enticed by the smell of food that wafted from behind the doors. His stomach grumbled as he saw Alix, already seated at the table and digging in. He joined her, taking bites of the various dishes before commuting them to his plate.

"Who do you think set all this up?" he asked.

"Adrien, obviously. He's probably trying to move the story along." She ate a piece of potato before mumbling, "I wish he was here now. I'd give him a piece of my mind.

And just like that, Adrien walked through the door and sat down beside her.

Adrien. Not the Prince.

Alix and Nathanaël shot to their feet and stared at him as he made himself a plate.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He looked up at Alix. "You just drop us off here for who knows _how long_ and the just waltz in and start eating?!"

"I'm hungry." He shrugged, then started eating.

Nathanaël and Alix glanced at each other before he asked, "What about the akuma?"

Adrien shrugged again. "I don't know. It's gone?"

"I doubt that," Alix snorted. "It doesn't just disappear! Ladybug has to cleanse it, and if she had we wouldn't be here now!" She threw her hands into the air and sank into her seat.

Nathanaël did as well, watching Adrien with suspicion. He looked normal, but anything under the influence of an akuma couldn't be trusted. He wasn't doing anything but eating at the moment, so Nathanaël continued eating as well.

He still couldn't relax, even after they finished their meal and started to explore the mansion. He made sure to keep half a room away from Adrien wherever they went.

When Alix finally yawned, and exhaustion overcame them, they looked for bedrooms. Adrien insisted Alix take the biggest they found and Nathanaël the one at the other end of the house. He promptly said no, and chose to stay with Alix, then told Adrien to pick a different room.

"I'll take the couch," he told her when Adrien left.

"Nah, there's plenty of room on here," Alix said, patting the bed.

"You sure?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. No problem."

* * *

The entire house creaked.

Alix told Nathanaël it was just the house settling. It had been built in seconds, after all. Nothing to worry about. Then she turned over and fell asleep, taking all the blankets with her.

Nathanaël didn't mind that. It wasn't very cold, and he knew from experience that Alix was a cuddly person. The feeling of something wrapped around her, plus the extra warmth it provided, must be a comfort to her in this mess. It was almost cute.

No, Nathanaël didn't mind the cold. But he couldn't sleep because of the creaking. He _knew_ it was just the house, he really did. But when he closed his eyes, his imagination filled his head with monsters that made the sounds.

Strong fingers gripping the rail to the stairs.

Clawed feet scratching across the floor.

Steps leading to right outside their door.

The door squeaking open.

More steps leading to the bed, stopping at the end before going to Alix's side.

Nathanaël blinked and waited as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The moon shone in through a window. A silhouette stood over Alix, arm over its head. Silver glinted in its hand.

Nathanaël grabbed the bundle of blankets that was Alix and rolled over as the figure slash downwards. They both hit the floor with a _Thump!_ , Nathanaël on top of Alix as a shield.

She woke up at the rough jolt of meeting the ground. "What the hell, Nath?" She sat up and pushed him off her, surprised at the way his heart pounded under her palm. She looked to where he was glaring.

"Who are you?"

"I-uh..." He stuttered, unable to process what happened. "I don't..."

"Adrien?" Nathanaël yelled, shuffling back with Alix. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just following your orders..."

Nathanaël jerked back at that. " _My_ orders? What are you talking about?"

The torches in the room lit themselves, showing Adrien's apologetic face. He shrugged and looked at Alix. "He told me to kill you."

"No he didn't!" She shook her head. "He would never do that!"

"I..." Adrien looked between them. With an irritated groan and a shimmer in the air, he changed into the Prince. "I thought this would go better." He waved his cane in their direction.

Nathanaël yelped as he felt pain shoot through his body. He hunched over, hugging himself, his fingers digging into his arms. Alix put a hand on his back as fur sprouted out of it. He hunched forward more, until he was forced to put his hands down and watched as they shifted into paws. Slowly, the pain ebbed away, but he didn't feel relief. He panted and shook himself, trying to shake off the magic that had done this to him.

Alix felt her mouth drop. Her hand was still on Nathanaël's back, but he was no longer human. No, he was a dog now, a Border Collie, and a beautiful one at that. His fur was the same red as his hair, with white legs and nose. His eyes were sea green, open wide in shock.

"Change him back!" she demanded as she turned to the Prince.

Ignoring her, he walked to the room's fireplace and picked up a bucket sitting at the side of it. He threw it on the ground in front of them, spilling its contents - coals that still burned bright despite the lack of a fire. They glowed red on the floor, smoldering against the wood. The Prince glared at Nathanaël, who cowered behind Alix.

"Start eating."

Nathanaël jerked, moving forward on shaking legs. Alix tried to hold him back, but he ducked under her arms and started licking the coals. He bit into one, whining as it burned his tongue.

"Stop! Why are you doing?!" Alix pulled against his fur, trying to yank him away but ultimately failing. She turned her attention to the Prince, who was standing above them with a cruel smile on his face. Alix stood, taking his scarf in one hand and repeatedly punching him with the other. "Stop. This." she grit out between swings.

She finally let him go, panting and seething. He stumbled away from her, stomping as he caught his balance. He shifted his glare to her, and lashed out with his cane, catching her across her cheek. She cursed as she touched it, the wound stinging under her tender touch.

"The least you can do is fail with grace."

He swiped her at her feet, catching her off guard. But when she hit the ground, it was rough stone instead of wood she on, sliding into darkness. The Prince glared at Nathanaël, still eating the coals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired  
> I was also really reluctant to write this chapter  
> fun fact: Kim was the original "villain" i chose for this chapter but i went with Nathanael instead and i like it??


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